Did you know that Mandarin is the second most spoken language in the world? According to Wikipedia, 921.2 million people speak Mandarin as their first language. But if you live in an English speaking country, why should your child learn Mandarin? Here are 5 reasons:
1) It opens up many opportunities.
Whether you’re an adult looking for a job in a competitive market, or a student looking to get into your dream university, learning Mandarin will help you stand out among the crowd. Learning an extra language opens many doors when looking for a job and can help with opportunities at school as well.
It is easier for kids to learn a new language than adults, so if you start encouraging your child to learn while they are still young, they will become fluent by the time they are ready to graduate high school. Most people in English speaking countries learn French or Spanish as a second language. Since not many people speak Mandarin in English speaking countries, your child’s university application will look more impressive.
Also, if your child’s school offers study abroad opportunities in a Mandarin-speaking country, your child is more likely to be accepted into the program and will have an easier time adjusting to a new country since they already speak the language.
2) Your child can make more friends and help others.
There are a lot of Chinese immigrants in English-speaking countries. Being able to speak Mandarin will help your child make friends with kids who are still learning English. As you child gets older, they will meet more people from different parts of the world. Speaking a second language, especially Mandarin, will prove very useful in making connections both at home and when they travel. They can expand their friend group to Mandarin speaking friends as well as friends who speak English.
3) It will help your child do well in school.
Chinese is very different from English. You have to learn Chinese characters which look nothing like the alphabet. Chinese also sounds very different from English with tone being very important in speaking correctly. When learning Chinese, people are training their brain to do something quite challenging and different than they’re used to.
It takes a lot of practice and discipline to become fluent in Chinese. This discipline will carry over to other aspects of your child’s school life. If your child can learn Chinese, then that means they are a good student who can take on more challenging subjects at school.
4) It will teach your child to respect and value other cultures.
Being able to understand different cultures is a very important skill in the modern world. Through the internet and our phones, we are more connected than ever. Learning Mandarin will also lead to your child learning more about cultures where Mandarin is the main spoken language. Your child will be able to watch Chinese movies and videos and even enjoy music and other types of art from China and other countries.
Learning Mandarin will ignite your child’s curiosity about other cultures and make them want to learn more. It will also encourage them to travel to places that are very different from the country they grew up in. It opens up a whole new world that will lead to exciting new discoveries and will encourage a love of other cultures.
5) It will be a fun and rewarding learning experience.
Since it’s easier for kids to learn a new language, learning Mandarin will be a lot of fun for your child. They will enjoy being able to translate English words in Chinese and connect things they know to help remember Chinese characters. They will also feel a sense of pride once they are able to say a few words in Chinese by themselves, especially if you encourage and praise them!
Learning a new language is an adventure that can open your eyes to new cultures and change the way you see the world. Since Mandarin is the second most spoken language in the world, there will be many different scenarios where speaking Mandarin will be beneficial for your child, both in their personal life and in their future career.
